All the heavens, starting as the ruler of the universe

Inside the dilapidated Crystal Palace of the East Sea Dragon Palace.

Ao Qing sat coiled on the pillar, staring at the small halo in his dantian, constantly absorbing spiritual energy.

It's been three days.

Three whole days have passed since Lin Yan left. He hasn't done anything but absorb spiritual energy.

It's not that he's lazy, it's just that it's so enjoyable.

How can I describe that feeling?

It's like plugging in a charger in the last few seconds before your phone goes off, just as it's about to shut down.

And this charger is connected to a nuclear power plant!

During these three days, spiritual energy surged out from the halo, flowing through the meridians throughout the body, nourishing every scale, every tendon, and every drop of blood.

It feels so good to be alive.

Ao Qing took a deep breath and opened the chat group.

"Brothers! I'm alive!!!"

Peter Parker was the first to respond three seconds after the message was sent.

"When did you die???"

Ao Qing looked at the message and twitched the corner of his mouth.

"Before, I was just waiting to die; now I'm truly alive! Brother Lin left me something amazing; I can now absorb spiritual energy at will!"

"I know, Brother Lin already mentioned it in the group chat," You Lingfeng chimed in.

Ao Qing paused for a moment, then scrolled up through the chat history. Sure enough, Lin Yan had sent a message last night.

"Ao Qing's matter is resolved. We left him a little trinket to solve his survival problem."

The following is a reply from Liu Ming:

"Brother Lin, you just got there, right? That's incredibly efficient!"

Below that is Kara's ellipsis, and Peter Parker's string of question marks.

"The efficiency is indeed very high. Brother Lin took care of all the enemies the moment he arrived, and then casually made this spiritual energy device for me."

Ao Qing's words were somewhat boastful, after all, this spiritual energy device could definitely be called a "celestial artifact" in the cultivation world.

"Where's Lin?" Peter Parker asked again.

"I don't know, the things he's busy with are beyond our comprehension."

"I have to go now, I have something to do." Ao Qing had just logged into the chat group to let everyone know she was safe.

After closing the chat group, Ao Qing slid down from the pillar.

Looking down at myself—I was still that pitifully small dragon, only as thick as a pillar when coiled up.

But that wasn't his original appearance.

He used to shrink so small because he had no other choice.

The larger a dragon's body is, the more spiritual energy it needs. In order to prolong its life, it can only shrink itself into this malnourished state.

just now……

Ao Qing took a deep breath.

The halo in his dantian suddenly lit up, and spiritual energy surged out like a tide.

His body began to swell.

The scales grew larger one by one, the dragon horns lengthened inch by inch, the claws became thicker and thicker, and the tail became longer and longer. The body, which could only be coiled on the pillar at first, soon filled the entire crystal palace.

Ao Qing raised his head.

His head had reached the top of the palace.

not enough.

He swam out of the Dragon Palace and came into the sea outside.

The body continued to expand.

Ten zhang, twenty zhang, thirty zhang...

He only stopped after he returned to his original body size.

Ao Qing lowered his head and looked at himself.

The blue scales gleamed coldly in the moonlight, each as large as a millstone.

The dragon's horns branch into nine branches, resembling two upside-down trees, and its claws can crush rocks with a gentle squeeze.

A long-lost feeling of fullness flowed through my entire body, and every scale seemed to rejoice.

This is the true dragon.

This is his true self.

He raised his head and let out a long howl.

The dragon's roar pierced through the seawater, through the sea surface, through the clouds, and resounded throughout the night sky.

This was also the first time Ao Qing had 'seen' his original appearance after transmigrating.

Who knows what kind of miserable life he had after transmigrating!

Oh, Kara knows, then it's alright.

After stretching his body, Ao Qing quickly swam in one direction.

It was the Tian Shu Sect, where Li Changqing belonged.

The seawater did not pose any obstacle along the way; instead, it acted like countless gentle hands, lifting him up and pushing him forward.

This is the dragon race's innate talent—water control.

Previously, he possessed the bloodline but couldn't utilize it because he lacked sufficient spiritual energy to support it.

Now that spiritual energy is flowing continuously, these instincts ingrained in their bones are finally awakening little by little.

Ao Qing's speed increased, until he almost transformed into a streak of blue light, traversing the sea.

In less than half an hour, he saw the familiar island.

Tian Shu Sect.

Ao Qing made no attempt to conceal himself, instead breaking through the sea surface and soaring into the air.

The azure dragon's body gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

He hovered in mid-air, looking down at the island below.

"People of the Tian Shu Sect, come out."

The sound wasn't loud, but it carried the might of a dragon, piercing through the protective array and spreading throughout the entire island.

There was a few seconds of silence on the island.

Then, two figures shot into the sky from the depths of the island.

Two old men.

One wore a gray robe, his beard and hair standing on end; the other wore a black robe, his face sinister.

Both of them were at the Nascent Soul stage.

But they remained suspended within the protective array, not daring to take a single step out.

The old man in the gray robe stared at Ao Qing.

"I am the Grand Elder of the Tian Shu Sect, my Daoist name is Xuan Zhen. May I ask, Dragon Lord, what brings you here?"

The old man in black robes put on a smiling face, and his sinister expression vanished without a trace.

"I have long admired the Dragon Lord's reputation, and today I have finally met him. He is indeed extraordinary, able to ignore this great calamity and move freely in the outside world."

"Enough with the nonsense. Li Changqing of the Tian Shu Sect led his men to surround my Dragon Palace. I'm here today to demand an explanation." Ao Qing is here to cause trouble.

Xuanzhen raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing the name "Li Changqing".

"Li Changqing is a member of my Tian Shu Sect, but he has always been an upright person and would never do something like besieging the Dragon Lord."

His voice carried just the right amount of doubt, as if he were genuinely defending his disciples.

The old man in black robes nodded in agreement.

"Yes, Lord Long, could there be some misunderstanding? Although Li Changqing is young, he is of good character and is definitely not the kind of person who would dare to act recklessly."

"A misunderstanding?" Ao Qing sneered. "Thirteen golden pills are currently in my Dragon Palace. Each one was dug out from the bodies of your Tian Shu Sect disciples. You call this a misunderstanding?"

Xuanzhen's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Lord Dragon, please calm your anger. If Li Changqing really did such a thing, I will definitely not let him off easily."

He swam forward half a step, still standing inside the protective mountain formation.

"Alright then, Dragon Lord, please enter the formation and wait a moment. I will immediately have my disciples search the entire island and will certainly give you an explanation!"

The old man in black robes also joined in the persuasion.

"Yes, yes, please come in, Dragon Lord. There is a thousand-year-old spiritual tea on the island, which can be used to apologize to you. Once Li Changqing is found, he can be dealt with as you see fit!"

Ao Qing looked at the pale golden light shield.

Mountain-protecting formation.

Getting in is easy, but getting out is hard.

"You two are truly righteous," he said sarcastically. "I'll give you one hour. If you don't see him within one hour, don't blame me for being impolite."

Xuanzhen and the old man in black robes exchanged a glance.

"Your Majesty, you may not know this, but once this mountain-protecting formation is activated, it can conceal everyone's presence. If Li Changqing intends to hide, I won't be able to find him for a while."

He paused, his tone becoming even more sincere.

"Perhaps Lord Dragon Lord would like to enter the formation and wait a moment. I will have my disciples search with all their might. Even if we have to turn the entire Heavenly Pivot Sect upside down, we will find this person!"

Ao Qing squinted at them.

"I'll be waiting outside. Search the place, and bring it out if you find anything."

Xuanzhen's smile froze for a moment.

The old man in black robes also frowned.

"Dragon Lord..." Xuanzhen wanted to persuade him again.

Ao Qing interrupted him directly: "What? Can't I enter?"

Xuanzhen remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he laughed.

His smile was much more genuine than before.

"The Dragon King is indeed clever."

Ao Qing looked at him: "Not pretending anymore?"

Xuanzhen shook his head.

"What are you pretending for? That good-for-nothing Li Changqing is dead, so be it."

His voice turned cold: "As for you, Dragon Lord, I am very interested in that treasure you possess that allows you to travel in the outside world."

The old man in black robes also revealed his true colors, his sinister face filled with greed.

"Able to move freely in the spiritually depleted outside world, and even support the true form of a dragon... this treasure must be at least a celestial artifact, right?"

The protective array for the mountain suddenly lit up, and the light barrier became several times thicker than before.

Countless sword energies condensed within the great formation, densely packed and obscuring the sky.

Ao Qing looked down at them: "That's it?"

Xuanzhen sneered.

"Boy, although you are a dragon, you are only at the Nascent Soul stage. My fellow disciples and I, together with this mountain-protecting formation, can kill you as easily as slaughtering a dog."

The old man in the black robe replied.

"Hand over the treasure obediently, and we might spare your life."

Ao Qing did not answer.

He simply took a deep breath.

The halo in his dantian suddenly lit up.

Spiritual energy surged forth like a tide.

His dragon body swelled again—not just grew larger, but his muscles bulged, his scales stood up, and every inch of his body was filled with explosive power.

The dragon's might was released without reservation.

That was the full pressure of a Nascent Soul stage dragon.

Xuanzhen's expression finally changed.

"This...this is impossible! How could there be such a dense concentration of spiritual energy outside!"

The old man in black robes panicked as well.

"That treasure he carries not only allows him to walk, but also provides him with spiritual energy for combat!"

Ao Qing looked down at them, a mocking smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Now you know?"

He raised his dragon claw.

"Too late!"

The dragon's claw descended.

The protective array around the mountain trembled violently.

one strike.

The surface is covered with cracks.

The second blow.

The great formation shattered.

Countless points of light scattered and flew everywhere, and the sword energy dissipated along with them before it even left the formation.

Xuanzhen and the old man in black robes were thrown backward by the shockwave and crashed into the palace on the island.

Ao Qing landed on the ground and transformed into human form.

He walked through the ruins and stood before Xuanzhen.

Xuanzhen lay in the pile of rubble, his body tattered and radiating spiritual energy.

"So weak? I wanted to ask you something."

Ao Qing shook his head, squatted down, and touched Xuanzhen's body.

A jade slip, a storage bag, and a flying sword broken in two.

The jade slip contains the "Heavenly Pivot Heart Method," the basic cultivation method of the Heavenly Pivot Sect, nothing special.

He casually put it away and then opened the storage bag.

There wasn't much inside—a few bottles of pills, a few spirit stones, and a bunch of miscellaneous materials.

Ao Qing rummaged through the items, picking out the pills and spirit stones, and stuffing all the materials into his storage bag.

Even a small mosquito is still meat.

He then found the old man in black robes.

Although the opponent's wounds were not that serious, without the protection of the mountain-protecting formation, being exposed to the outside world would mean certain death.

He was lying in the rubble, his eyes wide open, and he was no longer breathing.

Ao Qing touched him.

A jade slip, a storage bag, and a small black flag about the size of a palm.

The jade slip contains the "Mysterious Water Technique," a water-based cultivation method that perfectly complements the dragon race's innate talent for controlling water.

Ao Qing glanced at it and then put it away.

The small black flag is quite interesting; it's covered in dense runes, so it must be a magical artifact.

Ao Qing tried to input a little spiritual energy into it, and the small flag suddenly grew larger, causing the surrounding temperature to drop several degrees instantly.

"Keep it, it might come in handy later."

The storage bag contained more items than Xuanzhen's.

Several bottles of pills, a few spirit stones, a pile of miscellaneous materials, and even a few pieces of women's jewelry.

Ao Qing looked at the jewelry and his lips twitched.

"This old guy really knows how to enjoy life."

He packed everything up, stood up, and looked into the depths of the island.

There is the scripture repository of the Tian Shu sect there.

Ao Qing transformed into a dragon and soared into the sky.

The thirty-zhang-long dragon body circled once above the Tian Shu Sect before finally landing in front of one of the best-preserved palaces.

Above the palace gate hangs a plaque with three large characters:

"Treasure Pavilion"

Ao Qing transformed back into human form and pushed open the door to enter.

It was much smaller inside than he had imagined, with only three floors.

The first level consists of basic techniques, such as "Qi-Inducing Techniques," "Essentials of Foundation Building," and "Guide to the Golden Elixir."

Ao Qing casually flipped through a few books, all of which were commonplace and could be found in any small sect.

"Keep it for now."

Then we went up to the second floor.

The items on the second floor were slightly better; there were several books on swordsmanship, several books on alchemy, and several books on basic formations.

Ao Qing opened a sword manual—"Qingping Sword Manual".

It contains a beginner-level sword technique, consisting of twelve moves. When mastered, it can generate a three-foot-long sword beam.

Ao Qing flipped through it and thought the power was okay, but nothing special.

He then picked up another book—"The Myriad Swords Manual".

This one is quite interesting. It allows you to control multiple flying swords simultaneously, and at a high level, you can even transform a single sword into ten thousand swords.

However, the price is that it requires extremely strong spiritual power; ordinary people who practice it are prone to going astray and becoming possessed by evil spirits.

"This is alright."

Ao Qing put away the "Ten Thousand Swords Manual".

There were also several books on alchemy nearby—"An Introduction to Alchemy", "Identification of Spiritual Herbs", and "Maintenance of the Alchemy Furnace".

Ao Qing flipped through it; it was all very basic stuff, about how to identify medicinal herbs, how to control the heat, and how to maintain the alchemy furnace.

"Keep these too, just in case Brother Lin wants to refine pills."

He then found a book about weapon crafting called "An Introduction to the Way of Weapons".

It explains how to forge magical artifacts, from material selection to quenching to engraving arrays, with detailed instructions for each step.

"This one is good too."

Ao Qing put away all the books and continued upwards.

The third floor has the fewest items, with only three shelves.

On the first shelf was a small bottle containing half a bottle of clear liquid.

Ao Qing picked up the bottle and looked at it. There were four small characters engraved on the bottle:

"Crystal Clear Heavy Water"

It looked like a material for refining weapons, but Ao Qing ignored it and went to the second shelf.

The top part is a jade slip with the three characters 'Reincarnation Seal' engraved on it.

The third shelf held a fruit, which Ao Qing couldn't identify.

He stuffed all three items into a storage bag, then went downstairs and packed up everything from the first and second floors.

The storage bag is about to burst.

Ao Qing patted the bulging bag, transformed into a dragon, and soared into the sky.

Under the moonlight, a thirty-foot-long azure dragon body pierced the night sky and flew towards the Dragon Palace.

Behind them, the ruins of the Tian Shu Sect receded into the distance.